Track progress
When a task takes more than one step, Codewhale keeps a To-do list and shows it in the workbar, next to the goal and any sub-agents. You can see what is done, what is in progress, and what is left, while the transcript keeps scrolling.
Read the workbar
The workbar sits under the composer by default. It holds the active goal, the To-do list, and the sub-agents working for this session. Finished items stay visible as done instead of disappearing. Select a row, or press Enter on it, to open its detail.
- pending
- Not started yet.
- in progress
- What Codewhale is doing now — one item at a time.
- completed
- Done.
- cancelled
- Dropped, and kept in the list so you can see it was.
Move it or change what it shows:
/workbar left
/workbar bottom --save
/workbar offPositions are bottom, top, left, right, and off. --save keeps your choice for future sessions.
Set a goal that lasts across turns
A goal keeps one objective in view until it is met. Set it yourself, or let Codewhale set one when you ask for a clear end state, such as “until the tests pass.” It then shows one line saying so, and you stay in control:
/goal make the CLI tests pass on Windows budget: 200000
/goal # show progress
/goal pause
/goal resume
/goal done
/goal clearThe optional budget: is a token limit for the goal. A goal does not change your mode, approval setting, or model.
Continue in a fresh session
When a session gets long, /relay writes a handoff for a new thread, including the current To-do list exactly as it stands, so the next session starts from where you really are rather than a summary of it. Add a focus to steer the handoff:
/relay finish the Windows test fixesSub-agents started with the parent's context receive the same list, so they also know what is already done.
Know which list counts
There is exactly one progress list: the To-do. A plan Codewhale writes out — its approach, risks, and checks — explains how it will work but does not track progress, and the workbar does not show it as a second list.
The list in the workbar is for you. Codewhale sees its own updates as ordinary results in the conversation; the list is not re-sent to the model on every step.
Next
Run agents in parallel
Hand independent To-do items to sub-agents.
Set modes and approvals
Operate plans named steps and checks each result.
Review what changed
Check the work behind each completed item.